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In the Flesh
'' |image= |series= |production=40840-198 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Nick Sagan |director=David Livingston |imdbref=tt0708912 |guests=Ray Walston as Boothby, Kate Vernon as Cmdr. Valerie Archer, Zach Galligan as Ens. Gentry, Tucker Smallwood as Adm. Bullock |previous_production=Extreme Risk |next_production=Once Upon a Time |episode=VGR S05E04 |airdate=4 November 1998 |previous_release=(VGR) Extreme Risk (Overall) Chrysalis |next_release=(VGR) Once Upon a Time (Overall) Treachery, Faith and the Great River |story_date(s)=52136.4 (2375) |previous_story= Treachery, Faith and the Great River Extreme Risk |next_story= Once More Unto the Breach Once Upon a Time }} =Summary= Conducting a surveillance mission of an alien structure, Chakotay finds himself on Earth at Starfleet Headquarters. He is surrounded by aliens posing as humans, and strikes up a conversation with one of the women, Commander Valerie Archer. Later, when Chakotay and Tuvok are on their way back to the Delta Flyer, an alien Ensign tries to detain them for being in a restricted area. Unwilling to risk their cover being blown, they beam him back to Voyager. When Janeway questions him, the Ensign kills himself by releasing a toxin into his bloodstream. The Doctor triggers a genetic reversion, and the body on the biobed turns into a Species 8472 alien. Analysis of their ship's structure shows the aliens are using a combination of holographic projection and particle synthesis to recreate Earth and Starfleet Headquarters. The crew surmises it is being used as a training ground for invasion of the Alpha Quadrant. Seven of Nine discovers Species 8472 has adapted to Borg nanoprobes. As she works to modify them, Chakotay, Paris and Kim take the Delta Flyer back to the Earth simulation so Chakotay can keep a date planned with Archer. He plans to use her to find out more about the mission against the Federation. After Chakotay leaves her quarters, Archer analyzes a DNA sample and discovers that he is human. Once security is alerted, Chakotay is taken into custody. Paris and Kim notify Janeway of what has happened and pilot their shuttle back to Voyager. The Captain sets a course for the alien ship, and is armed with modified nanoprobes but is unwilling to use them unless provoked. When she threatens the habitat leader — who is in the body of Starfleet groundskeeper Boothby — with the Borg nanoprobes, he agrees to a meeting. With both sides gathered to discuss their differences, Janeway and Boothby find there is room for negotiation. Judging from Voyager's collaboration with the Borg against them, Species 8472 believed humans were a hostile force planning an invasion. Janeway explains that her crew did not know at the time that the Borg had started the war with their species; Archer then reveals that their Earth simulation is only a reconnaissance mission. They feared humans as much as the Voyager crew feared them. After agreeing to share technology as a first step toward peace between their species, the 8472 beings return to fluidic space, and Voyager continues on its journey home. =Errors and Explanations= Nit Central # Richie Vest Chakotay says he resigned from Starfleet on March 3, 2368. That's two years before we see the Maquis on DS9. He must have been one of many people who realised that the Cardassians weren’t going to back off, and decided to assist with pre-emptive action. # Corey Hines on Wednesday, November 04, 1998 - 7:05 pm: Holo-Doc said the last time they encountered Species 8472 they went back to their own space. Obviously he forgot about the events in Prey He was referring to encounters with the species as a whole. # One wonders why Chakotay didn't call for immediate transport as soon as he left the 8472's quarters. There was too great a risk of the communication being overheard, and raising suspicions. # '' Patterson on Wednesday, November 04, 1998 - 8:12 pm:'' How do the 8472 manage talking so well? They are an entirely telepathic species. The tounge, lip, jaw, and throat movements should be completely unfamiliar! That is probably handled during the initial conversion process. # How does Seven know what particle synthesis is? That was what that guy in Hope and Fear used to fool the Voyager crew into thinking that the Dauntless was a Starfleet ship, and everyone acted like it was totally new! She could have gained theoretical knowledge about it during her time with the Collective. # Okay, please explain to me why 8472 are only planning to invade Earth? I thought the Federation would be sufficiently advanced to decentralize their command structure especially during wartime when the enemy knows full well where their home system is. You would think that 8472 would be smart enough to try and infiltrate other Fed planets. Earth is the central world of the Federation, and is the main base for Starfleet Command and the Federation Council. # Um, how are they going to make these nanoprobe warheads? It seems like they used all of the ones from the dissected Borg corpse a while ago, and I doubt Seven would like to have hers drained. They're kind of small to replicate. They could have reproduced, just like the nanites in Evolution (TNG) # Shane Tourtellotte on Wednesday, November 04, 1998 - 8:21 pm: How did the captured 'ensign' retain his shape while unconscious, and later dead, when that other officer in the lounge had such trouble while in complete command of his faculties? inblackestnight on Wednesday, August 08, 2007 - 11:39 am: They all had to take injections to retain human form. Perhaps the guy in the bar either forgot to take his or his body isn't responding as well. ' # ''Vince Hamilton on Thursday, November 05, 1998 - 6:00 pm: I didn't quite understand why the SFHQ simulation had to be out in normal space. Should 8472 have put it in fluidic space so Voyager wouldn't find it? (Of course then there'd be no episode.) ''Sara Greenblatt on Thursday, November 05, 1998 - 7:26 pm:'' The SFHQ sim was in normal space because *Earth* is in normal space; they wanted the sim to be as realistic as possible. (Could you even have a garden in fluidic space?)... Of course, this may be giving too much credit to TPTB ;-)' # ''Chris Booton (Cbooton) on Thursday, August 19, 1999 - 2:56 pm: Boothby says that the weapons from the station could take out Voyager in a second and yet when they fire on the Delta Flyer™, it only looses it shields. Tom did say pot shots though, I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it may explain it. These were likely warning shots on minimal power. # As other posters have commented ;Why didn't species 8472 tell Voyager what it's real name so Voyager can stop refering to them using their borg designation. '''Keith Alan Morgan on Friday, August 20, 1999 - 6:34 am: Since 8472 is telepathic, their name may not translate to a sound.Jayson Spears on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 4:51 pm: Sure would have been nice if even 1 member of the crew bothered to ask species 8472 what they call themselves! The term "Species 8472" is a Borg Designation. And throughout the episode the crew calls them that. No wonder 8472 is pissed off! The Borg are their mortal enemy! ''' Category:Episodes Category:Voyager